Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Agribusiness expert on Nestle pulling out of a global methane accord

Global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, prompting speculation.

This follows other companies backing out of climate initiatives, with the Net Zero Banking Alliance confirming it was set to shut down earlier in the week.

Agribusiness expert Dr Jacqueline Rowarth says it's likely the Alliance didn't move fast enough for Nestle, and they're taking their support elsewhere.

"The Alliance has not worked as well as they thought - and remember, Nestle's done some really good work around the world with regenerative agriculture, with cropping... so they're putting their money where they're actually getting action."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now Nessley has pulled out of a global alliance for
cutting methane emissions from dairy farming. The Dairy Methane Action
Alliance was launched less than two years ago, and now
Nesley has quit. And this has come just days after
the Net Zero Banking Alliance basically voted to end itself.
Agribusiness expert doctor Jacqueline Roworth is with us on this hijackeline. Hello, Hello,

(00:37):
why do you think NESLA has done this?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Not moving fast enough for them? The alliance has not
worked as well as they thought. And remember Neslie's doing
some really good work around the world regenerative agriculture, with
cropping and with us with New Zealand. Lots of rewards
for farmers who are able to cut their methane. So
they're putting their money where they're actually getting action. And
that makes sense to.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Me where.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Well New Zealand and around the world in America, a
bit in Britain through the EU they're trying to cut
with cropping, which is not our forte Well, how is
the domestic supply is our good cropping stuff. So with
the export the stuff that they buy, that money is
going through from various of the dairy companies to directly

(01:24):
to the farmers to encourage them to do ever better.
And the farmers are doing the better, so it makes
sense to me to do a good investment.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
The optics of this are not great, are they, though,
because it looks like this lay just doesn't want to
be held to account on methane emissions and their supply chains,
which is what the alliance does.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
But they are reporting, but not through that alliance. And
I think there's been problems with the alliance with other
companies not doing what they said they would do, so
the alliance itself has not been working successfully.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
So they're adi leg ads.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, I think that's what I would hate to call
them legards, but they're yes, possibly because they haven't been
reporting well and it took them a while to get together.
So the reports well about.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
The ex party and just as a case and point
about the objects. The X party is looked at this,
put out a press release and said this adds weight
to the argument that we should pull out of the
or at least tweak the Paris Climate Agreement, because all
of these initiative, all of these alliances are starting to
fall apart.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Oh two of them are. But the global research are
at least poor Jacqueline. Oh, okay, yes, Globally it is
really difficult to do because everything is contextual. But in
New Zealand we are doing good work. We are working
with some of the big customers. Remember we sell to
Neir Sley and that's why they're doing all this encouragement
and able to report that they are reducing me then,

(02:42):
but for us, being part of the Paris Agreement allows
us with the trade agreement and it allows us social license.
Can you imagine what it would be like if the
farming community actually pulled out of Paris? And remember Paris
Agreement does say do everything you can without reducing food production,

(03:03):
and we are approaching that point. We've done an awful
lot of the things we can do and most countries happened.
So we have the well, we have the high ground
at the moment, and we have trade deal.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Do you think that assurance is go, which is the
thing that a lot of people cling to in the
Paris Agreement, Do you think that that is going to
be honored by part signatories to the agreement who we
trade with.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, most countries are still trying to reduce methane and
they haven't done the reducing that it hasn't impact on
the food production. But yes, it may be that everything
changes in the future when people realize that food production
is the major goal for the world, given the increasing
population and the.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
Increasing in practice, how does it work in practice?

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Right?

Speaker 2 (03:47):
So we get to the point where because we have
talked in the past, Jacklin, I mean here what Economa
has talked about culling like fifteen percent of our herd
in order to get the numbers down. So how do
we in practice? How what happens? Do we go as
the New Zealand government? Does the New Zealand government go, Look,
we have reduced to the point as far as we
can and the next step is to start shooting cows

(04:07):
and and the rest of the world. Well, oh, it's cooled,
don't shoot them. You carry on a misting.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Well I've just been at the SAO Food and Agricultural
Organization meeting in Rome about sustainable livestock production, and there
is a recognition that we have to keep going with
with meat and milk because that's the most sufficient way
of people getting their nutrition they need. So for New Zealand,
the fifteen percent was really trying to get improved deficiencies

(04:33):
and we are doing that, and the data from the
milk companies.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
That's not what I'm asking you. What I'm asking you,
how is it going to work? If New Zealand stands
up and goes, hey, guys, we've done everything we can
short of actually shooting our animals. So are you cool?
If we keep all the animals and we're emitting a
little bit more than we wanted to, is the reasonable
going to be like, that's fine? Where are they going
to mountain? There?

Speaker 3 (04:55):
I think that then big customers, the Nesleighs, Dunnones McDonald's
will say we want your milk because it's lower emissions
per kila or product that we want than any other components.
So yes, I do think that what will happen?

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (05:08):
And of course sometimes I have gaze in my engaging
in my crystal ball, but they want time the closet,
slow emissions.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah good, Hey, Jacqueline, thank you as always appreciate your time.
That's doct Jacqueline Row with agribusiness expert and dairy and
z director.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
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